Flue cleaner



Nov. 12, 1940. A s, KETSIOS 2,221,195

FLUE CLEANER Filed Feb. 2o, 1939 Patented Nov. 12, 1940 UNITED STATESl PATENT OFFICE FLUE CLEANER Apamcnondas S. Ketsios, Chicago, lll. Application February 20, 1939, serial No. 257,308

` 3 Claims.

This invention relates to improvements in a device for cleaning or scraping the interior of pipes or other tubular bodies, and refers Specifically to a device for cleaning or scraping flues by rotat- 5 ing the device in the interior of the flue, means being provided whereby the rotary Scrapers bear against the walls of the tube or ue by spring pressure and pressure caused by centrifugal motion.

l' Rotary flue cleaners have heretofore been proposed wherein Scrapers are mounted upon bowed leaf or blade springs, the principle employed residing in establishing radial pressure of the Scrapers against the inner walls ofthe tube or 1liue by means of the springs upon which the Scrapers are mounted, whereby rotation of the assembly causes the Scrapers to remove soot or other deposits from the flue walls.

These prior art devices are of limited application, since the radial pressures ofthe blades against the ue walls for a predetermined bowing of the springs is constant and cannot be increased or decreased appreciably when cleaning a iue o-f predetermined diameter without removgV ing the device from the ue and adjusting the bow of the springs, if the springs are adjustable. In addition, within working limits the ultimate radial pressure obtainable by means of springs is a limiting factor in itself. That is, for obvious reasons the thickness or weight of the springs cannot be too great if the device is to be readily handled or may, if used, be injurious to the fiues.

In my invention moderate spring thickness or weight may be used, and the radial pressure is principally established, and may be varied by controlling the rate of rotation of the device, weights being carried by the springs -to make centrifugal pressure a working factor in establishing radial pressure of the Scrapers. In relying principally upon centrifugal force to establish radial pressure of the Scrapers, a flexibility of control is obtained which is absent in prior art devices. For, instance, where particularly stubborn deposits are encountered in the flue, the rotary a Speed of the Scrapers may be increased and wherev Fig. 3 is a transverse sectional view taken on the line 3 3 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary View of a modified form of spring attachment whereby the bow of the springs may be adjusted.

Referring in detail to the drawing, I indicates a rod which terminates at one end in a relatively enlarged Square-sectioned head 2. Adjacent the opposite end of the rod a Square-sectioned block 3 may be formed and adjacent thereto the rod may be formed circular in section and may be provided with threads asl indicated at 4 in Fig. 1. The rod I, blocks 2 and 3 and the cylindrical threaded portion 4 may all be of integral construction.

A blade orleaf spring 5 may be rigidly anchored at one end by means of rivets 6to each lateral face of the block 3. The springs 5 are bowed outwardly intermediate their length and toward their free ends they converge toward block 2. Block 2 carries a pair of vtransversely positioned pins l which extend at right angles to each other, said pins being rigidly positioned through block 2. Heads are provided at the ends of pins 'I and are adapted to confine the ends of Springs 5 upon the pins l, the springs being provided with longitudinal slots 9 through which the pins 'I extend. 'Ihe heads 8 are spaced from the block 2 and therefore permit limited movement of the springs 5 toward and away from block 2.

Intermediate the length of each of the springs 5, Scrapers I0 are carried, said scrapers compris-l ing angle sections.A One iiange II of each of the angle Sections is disposed flush with the Surface of the spring upon which it is carried. The opposite flange I2 extends at right angles to the flange II. The corners of the flange I2 are rounded or tapered as Shown at I3 in Fig. l. At the rear face of the intermediate portion of each of the springs 5, a weight I4 is carried, said Weight being positioned upon the opposite face of the Spring from the flange II. rThe Weight I4, flange II, and sp-ring 5 in each case, are rigidly joined by means of rivets or the like I5, which pass through flange II, the intermediate portion of spring 5 and weight I4.

In utilizing the flue cleaner, the threaded end 4 of the rod I iS engaged with a conventional flue cleaning rod (not shown). The cleaner is then inserted in a tube or flue (not shown) the head or block 2 leading. Depending on the diameter of the tube or flue to be cleaned, the free ends of the springs 5, that is, theends adjacent the pins 1, move inwardly along said pins toward block 2 thereby establishing a limited degree of pressure between the edges of the flanges I3 and the inner walls of the tube or iiue to be cleaned. The opposite end of the iiue cleaning rod may then be rotated, preferably by power, that is, an electric motor or the like. This is conventional practice in lthe cleaning of flues. It can readily be seen that, the flanges I3 will thus scrape the interior surfaces of the tube or iiue, tending to remove soot or other deposits from the flue walls.`

If a particularly stubborn deposit is encountered, the speed of rotation of the flue cleaning rod is increased and in so doing the `centrifugal force, made a workable factor by the presence of the weights IIi, increases the radial pressure with which the flanges I3 bear upon the inner walls of the flue. This relatively high speed of question is removed. As the cleaner continues its progress through the tube, portions of said tube may be encountered which carry little or no deposits. At these points the speed of rotation of the cleaner may be reduced until the weights Iii have little influence upon the radial pressure of the flanges I3 upon the tube walls. At these points it is entirely possible that the springs 5 are the principal factors in establishing the radial pressure.

By providing a limited degree of lateral motion of the free ends of the springs 5 adjacent the head 2, a cleaner of predetermined size may be adaptable for use in tubes or ues of a relatively wide range of diameters. In addition, when the ends of the springs 5 are in contact with the heads 8, the slots 9 permit an additional bowing of the springs which will be caused by the centrifugal force established by the whirling weights Ill. I'his factor permits the enlargement of the range of tube diameter within which the cleaner may be used.

In the rotating of the .cleaner the flanges I3 move in a direction at right angles to their length and, consequently, tend to twist the springs E. This twisting movement is normally greatest at the central portion of the springs. The weights Id in addition to functioning as pressure-producing agents, also function as reinforcing members which tend to resist the torsional elect and tend to distribute the torsional forces at both ends of the springs 5.

The absolute weight of the weights I4 will depend upon many factors including the character of the springs, that is, their thickness and temper and also will be determined by the speeds of rotation which are capable of being produced by the driving medium. In addition, the absolute weight of the weights Irl will be determined by the sizes of the pipes wherein the cleaner is to be used, the larger the pipes the larger the weights since the larger pipes are capable of withstanding greater radial pressures.

Referring particularly to Fig. 4, a slight modication of my invention is shown wherein rod I6., corresponding to rod I in Fig. 1, is formed with a relatively enlarged square-sectioned portion II adjacent its end. The rod I6 beyond the square-sectioned portion I'I is threaded as indicated at I8 to engage with an internally threaded adjusting nut I8. A square-sectioned sleeve 20 is slidably positioned upon the portion I'I and an end thereof normally bears against nut I9. The sleeve 2l] carries a spring 2| on each of its faces, said springs being secured thereto by means of screws or the like 22. The springs 2I for the remaining distance are similar to springs 5, car-- rying Scrapers I0, weights Ill, and the same may be anchored upon a block similar to the block 2 in the manner hereinbefore described.

In utilizing this form of my invention it can readily be seen that the bow of the springs 2| may be adjusted by means of the nut I9 to increase or decrease the degree of bowing. By this provision the flexibility of use of the cleaner is extended.

It is not essential that the rod I extend between the square-sectioned block 3 and the head 2. However, the provision of the intermediate rod makes the structure stronger and prevents undue twisting of the springs. Both constructions, however, are broadly contemplated by my invention.

I claim as my invention:

l. A flue cleaner comprising a supporting mem- Iber adapted for engagement at one end with a flue cleaner rod, a plurality of relatively elongated blade springs each of which is anchored at one end in a circumferentially spaced manner by said supporting member and engaged for limited longitudinal and lateral movement at the opposed end, the longitudinal axes of said springs being disposed generally in a direction parallel to the axis of said supporting member, said blade springs being bowed outwardly intermediate their length in radial directions from said supporting member, a longitudinally extending scraper carried on the outer face of an intermediate portion of each of said blade springs, and a weight carried by an intermediate portion of each of said blade springs substantially coextensive with the length of said Scrapers whereby rotary motion of said supporting member exerts centrifugal force upon said weights to force said Scrapers outwardly against the interior of a flue.

2. A flue cleaner comprising a supporting rod adapted for engagement at one end with a ue cleaner rod, a plurality of relatively elongated blade springs each of which is carried at one end upon said supporting rod adjacent its end, the longitudinal axes of said springs being disposed generally in a direction parallel to the axis of said supporting rod, said blade springs being bowed outwardly intermediate their length in radial directions from said supporting rod, a plurality of transverse pins carried near the opposite end portion of said supporting rod, the opposite ends of said blade springs being loosely secured to said pins and adapted to limited longitudinal and lateral end movement, a scraper carried on the outer face of an intermediate portion of each of said blade springs, said blade springs being weighted intermediate their lengths and substantially coextensive of said Scrapers to exert substantially uniform radial pressure of said scrapers upon the inner face of a flue when said supporting rod is rotated.

3. A nue cleaner .comprising a supporting rod adapted for engagement at one end with a flue cleaner rod, a sleeve slidably but non-rotatably carried on said rod, a plurality of relatively elongated blade springs each of which is anchored at one end upon said sleeve, the longitudinal axes of said springs being disposed generally in a direction parallel to the axis of said supporting rod, said blade springs being bowed outwardly intermediate their length in radial directions from saidsupporting rod, a plurality of transverse pins carried by the opposite portion of said supporting rod, the opposite ends of said blade springs being loosely carried on said pins, in such manner that said ends have limited 1ongitudinal and transverse freedom of movement with respect to said pins, a longitudinally extending scraper carried on the outer face of an intermediate portion of each of said blade springs, said blade springs being Weighted intermediate `their lengths substantially coextensive with said Scrapers to exert radial pressure of said Scrapers APAMENONDAS s. KETsIos. 

